The fishing village Mui Ne is situated on a headland of the province Binh Thuan only four hours coach drive away from Saigon. Mui, the nose or half-island, Ne – hide yourself or look for cover. Even today the fishermen from Mui Ne bring themselves and their boats into safety to one or the other side of the headland depending on the weather.

The round wicker boats also venture out to sea. The walls of a Thung Chai are from woven bamboo, which is sealed with pitch from the Dau Trai tree. For conventional fishing cutters, the French colonial masters demanded taxes, which is why the fishermen invented the small wobbly wicker boats.

Even someone who doesn’t have a boat, ship, or a Thung Chai, just throws his nets out into the sea from the beach. The fishing and its processing is the main source of income. The whole region is famous for its special fish sauce Nuoc Mam – a salty dip which belongs on every table and everything which should taste spicy is dunked into. Nuoc Mam is for the Vietnamese like soya sauce for the Chinese or ketchup for the Americans.

Mui Ne has, at least for surfers and kitesurfers, nearly outstripped the Nha Trang beach thanks to its constant strong winds. In front of the red and white dunes the colourful kites or sails fly through the air. Between 2 and 4 p.m. the wind is at its strongest and the waves are rough, but before and after the conditions are perfect for kitesurfers and surfers alike.

Very intense red and brown tones above and below the clouds softly take over the blue sky in the evening. The fascinating colour games can be enjoyed most intensely from the largest dune Bui Trinh Nu – the “Virgin Hill”. Or 45 minutes away from Mui Ne on the even higher and whiter dunes at Po Shanu.